How successful businesses survive boom to bust cycles

Commerce Bank of Arizona Names Lewis President & CEO

John S. Lewis named president and CEO for bank's statewide operations. Former bank president and CEO, Randall J. Yenerich, will now serve as president and CEO of the bank's holding company, CBOA Financial.

Revisiting what Dodd-Frank reform act does for you

By Fred Dawson for "Inside Tucson Business," posted: Friday, July 29, 2011. In the last article I wrote for Inside Tucson Business (see link below), I mentioned a controversial provision of the Dodd-Frank Act (DFA) called the Durbin Amendment.

Named after U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the amendment will require the Federal Reserve to limit the fees banks and credit unions can charge retailers and service providers for processing debit card transactions.

Serving our communities through philanthropic participation

Excerpt from People in Action,Friday, July 15, 2011, Inside Tucson Business. Vice President Humberto Stevens and Senior Vice President Teresa Nowak were recently appointed to the boards of local charitable foundations.

Tucson banks, credit unions stable

Excerpt from Arizona Daily Star - Dale Quinn, Sunday, June 26, 2011. Tucson's community banks and credit unions remained on stable financial footing through the first quarter of 2011, the latest ratings from BauerFinancial Inc. show.

Fraud and Theft: It can happen at work and at home

Humberto N. Stevens, VP for Commerce Bank of Arizona, The Writ newsletter/Pima County Bar Association.Fraud and theft can happen to anyone, including you. Most often people don’t talk about it in social settings and much less around the office. We don’t want to seem paranoid among our business peers or create an air of concern for our clients. However, lately the tide has turned and more professionals are discussing the topic...

How new banking regulations affect business accounts

"There have been many changes to banking rules and regulations in recent years, in addition to all-encompassing changes made by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (DFA)." — Fred Dawson, Jr., EVP/Chief Credit Officer, Commerce Bank of Arizona

Phoenix banks get 5-star ratings from Bauer Financial

Excerpt from Phoenix Business Journal article, May 6, 2011. A handful of Valley banks have earned top ratings from Bauer Financial Inc., a national independent bank rating and research firm.Tucson-based Commerce Bank of Arizona has received four consecutive 5-star “Superior” ratings in a row.

Banks, credit unions improve financial stability in 2010

"One bank, Commerce Bank of Arizona, and two credit unions, Hughes Federal and Pima Federal, ended the year with Bauer's highest ranking, five stars, which is considered superior." —Inside Tucson Business staff,Inside Tucson Business

New rules help buyers contemplate home loans

We’ve heard that Congress passed a number of new laws to protect home loan applicants against unfair and deceptive home mortgage products and lenders. What are they and do they really help? —G.A. Kern, Catalina Resident

Putting your money where it’s safe

What is the current insurance limit offered by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) on bank deposits, and how can I find out my bank’s stability and whether my accounts are safe there? —K. Slawson, Oro Valley

Tucson's financial houses are holding up

"Commerce Bank of Arizona maintained its five-star rating, the highest among Tucson-based banks and among only a handful of Arizona-based banks to hold that rating." —Assistant Business Editor David Wichner, Arizona Daily Star

In a loan, both parties pursue a healthy relationship

I own a business and have not needed, before now, to apply for a loan. If I did obtain a business loan from my bank, would I be taking on any obligations beyond making the scheduled payments? —Biff from Tucson

Workings of a home equity line of credit

Establish a credit-approval process to avoid bad debt

"In these difficult economic times, cash is king.For businesses that sell products and services on credit, a sale is not a sale until cash is collected. While a business cannot ensure that it will receive payment for the products and services it provides, it can minimize the risks of non-payment through a carefully thought out and maintained credit approval process." —Fred Dawson, Jr., EVP/Chief Credit Officer, Commerce Bank of Arizona

Commercial real estate loan workouts are not mandated

"The federal policy aimed at keeping troubled commercial real estate loans out of foreclosure is not a law or a mandate, but a set of guidelines set by federal financial regulators that lenders may choose to follow." —Fred Dawson, Jr., EVP/Chief Credit Officer, Commerce Bank of Arizona

What you need to know about business loan modifications

"Renegotiating or modifying an existing loan is a trend percolating among small businesses. While this may seem to be an attractive option to cope with declining revenue during these tough economic times, it is important to know how to work toward renegotiating a loan without being denied, which requires viewing the modification request from many viewpoints." —Fred Dawson, Jr., EVP/Chief Credit Officer, Commerce Bank of Arizona